The Suicidal Yuppie (April 24, 2009. New Moon. Issue 4)

Chapter 1

Something dropped past the window outside.  I walked over and looked down.  A body landed on the company mail truck.  The driver looked at the dead yuppie in the dented metal and laughed.  He then saw me and waved.

I waved back.

Chapter 2

The cops and Emergency Medical Technicians studied the body. 

Walt stood next to me.  “What you up to, buddy?”

“Someone jumped off the building.”

“Wow.  I wonder what he did?”

“He jumped?”

“I mean, what position in the company.”

“Oh.”

“I hope he’s pay grade 29.”

“Maybe.”

Chapter 3

A new position opened in Marketing, pay grade 29.

Chapter 4

I ate lunch with the women my age.  They all paid claims.  I didn’t.  Everyone in my department was at least in their early fifties.  They treated me like their daughter.  They had miserable daughters. 

“Anyone hear anything new about the jumper,” I asked.

No one answered. 

Maybe I never asked

Chapter 5

Cara’s cubicle was across from mine.  She asked my boss, Migdalia, about a procedure.  Migdalia told her I handled that process.  Cara asked where I sat.  Migdalia asked Cara if she was kidding.  Cara was serious.  Migdalia shook her head and walked away.

“That was rude,” Cara said.

Chapter 6

Mika and Cara talked in hush voices and giggles.  They had a lot on common.  Cara wore bright pastel eye shadow that clashed with her skin tone and Mika concealed her face with foundation and eye make-up. 

Why did they wear so much make-up?

What where they trying to hide?

Did guys go for that?

And did they ever talk about the jumper?

Chapter 7

Two weeks after the jumper’s death, the Marketing position left the job board.

Chapter 8

Ray transferred to Marketing.

Chapter 9

Up on the roof, I sat on a plastic milk crate, looked over the edge, and ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

What did the jumper think about as he went down?  Did he think about his empty apartment?  Did he look out at the developing city and doubt he would meet someone meaningful?  Perhaps his department ignored him?  Or they considered him a jerk?  Maybe their delusional perspectives and ignorance made him sick?

No.  Wait.  Those thoughts would go through my mind.

“What you doing over there, girlie?”

The janitor stood at the open door to the stairs. 

“Just eating lunch.”

“You better not jump.”

I smiled and blushed.

“They don’t want to buy a new mail van,” he said.  “They still mad from the white guy who broke the other one.”

I frowned.

“I won’t,” I said, then sighed.

“Good.”

He left.

Chapter 10

I finished my sandwich and stepped onto the edge.

No one cared about the suicidal yuppie when he was alive (or else why would he jump?) and no one cared when he died.

That sucked.

Then why should I do the same?

I went back to my cubicle.  I was late, but it didn’t matter. 

No one cared.

I still had some benefits to my life.

The End